1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a low insertion force connector in which a slider can be firmly provisionally retained on a connector housing, and by pushing the slider from a provisionally-retained condition, male and female connectors can be fitted together.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 shows a conventional low insertion force connector.
This low insertion force connector 61 comprises a female connector 62, a plate-like slider 64 adapted to be inserted into the female connector 61 through a slider insertion hole 63, and a male connector (not shown).
The female connector 62 comprises a female connector housing 65 made of synthetic resin, and male terminals 66. A support post 68 is provided upright at a central portion of a connector fitting chamber 67 of the female connector housing 65, and a slider passage hole 69 is formed through the support post 68. The male terminals 66 are provided in a projected manner on opposite sides of this support post, and the male terminals are connected to wires 70, respectively. This construction is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 9-17508.
The slider 64 is made of synthetic resin, and includes a flexible, provisionally-retaining arm 71 for the support post 68, and a cam groove 72 for guiding a follower projection of the male connector (not shown). The provisionally-retaining arm 71 serves as a stopper.
As shown in FIG. 11, the slider 64 is inserted into the female connector housing 65, and a distal end portion of the slider 64 is passed through the passage hole 69 in the support post 68, with a distal end of the provisionally-retaining arm 71 abutted against the support post 68, and in this condition the slider 64 is provisionally retained. Then, the male connector is initially inserted into the female connector 62, and when the slider 64 is pushed, the provisionally-retained condition is canceled, and the follower projection of the male connector is guided along the cam groove 72 (see FIG. 10) in the slider 64, so that the male connector is moved in a connector fitting direction, and the male and female connectors are fitted together.
In the above conventional construction, however, when the slider 64 was pushed from the provisionally-retained condition shown in FIG. 11, a large force acted on the support post 68, so that the support post 68 was often deformed or damaged. This problem was also encountered when an external force was applied to the slider 64, for example, during the transport of the female connector 62 having the slider 64 held in the provisionally-retained condition.